Building record MAB3401 - WITCHES STONES, FORRES
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Summary
Standing stone, the only remaining one of three said to mark the graves of the three witches who bewitched King Duncan in 960 AD.
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred NJ 0435 5929 (40m by 40m) Centred at - Polygon: Known Site Extent |
|---|---|
| Map sheet | NJ05NW |
| Authority | Moray |
| Civil Parish | Forres |
Type and Period (2)
Full Description
Standing stone, the only remaining one of three said to mark the graves of the three witches who bewitched King Duncan in 960 AD. The surviving granite stone, 0.9 m (3 ft) square by 0.3 m (1 ft) high, is clasped by an iron band. An iron plaque bears the inscription, 'From Cluny Hill witches were rolled in stout barrels through which spikes were driven. Where the barrels stopped they were burned with their mangled contents. This stone marks the site of one such burning.' A second stone, said to be one of the original three stones, a conglomerate boulder 0.8 m high by 1.1 m wide, was recorded in close proximity in the garden of the bungalow, Trafalgar Place (NJ05NW0527), and visited by the OS in 1963. The third stone was broken up in 1802, when the remaining stone was also damaged.
MACKINTOSH, HB, 1928, LONDON MORAYSHIRE CLUB NO1, 34 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1187.
RITCHIE, JB, 1932, PAGEANT OF MORAYLAND, 102 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1501.
Oct 17 2013 , AAS-GR-13-10-016 - 017, AAS-GR-13-10-016 - 017 (Ground Photograph). SAB34875.
Other Statuses/References
- Authority: MOR;
- NMR Card Number: NJ05NW3;
- NRHE Numlink: 15807;
- Old Historic Environment Record Ref: NJ05NW0003;
External Links (1)
- https://www.trove.scot/place/15807 (trove.scot link)
Sources/Archives (3)
Finds (0)
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (0)
Record last edited
Jun 22 2023 3:58PM
